Former Irvington mayor rejects bribery plea deal

Former Irvington mayor Michael Steele today rejected a plea deal to resolve charges that he rigged contracts in his job as business administrator for the township's Board of Education because he doesn't want to lose his entire pension.

Steele, who retired in April after 28 years of service, faces nine charges, including official misconduct and bribery, for allegedly accepting at least $120,000 in kickbacks in two separate schemes between 2003 and 2007. Two contractors have already pleaded guilty to receiving school contracts in return for bribes paid to Steele.

Steele was offered a deal to serve a minimum of five years in prison and to forfeit his entire pension as required by a new state law designed to get tough on corrupt public officials, according to state Deputy Attorney General Erik Daab.

But Steele's attorney, Peter Till, told state Superior Court Judge Roger Mahon in Flemington that he does not believe the new law requires the revocation of the entire pension and has asked the state Division of Pensions for a ruling. He said that under the old statute a person would only lose credit for those years in which criminal conduct was committed.

"Mr. Steele understands the plea agreement is now off the table," said Till, standing next to Steele. "But this pension is a very large amount of money that would take care of his family if Mr. Steele is so incarcerated. I'm trying to protect Mr. Steele's family."

The charges represent a fall from grace for Steele, who became Irvington's first African-American mayor in 1990 and served one term before losing to Sara Bost. He first got into elected office by wining a school board seat in 1980, at age 24, and took over as its business administrator in 1986.